Nice nebula, yes?
This novel, #22 in the SG-1 series, revisits the time-traveling versions of SG-1 that were stranded in Egypt on Earth in about 2492 BC at the end of season 8. It took me a couple of pages to recall the events of that episode, figuring out which versions of Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c I was dealing with. I recommend watching the double episode before you read as a refresher, although it won't be strictly necessary. The authors do a fine job of catching the reader up on events. Since we have doubles of several characters, the authors use a clever but intuitive trick to distinguish them- referring to Egypt Sam as Sam and Atlantis Sam as Carter, and so on where applicable
From the start, I was pretty thrilled with the characterization in this installation. Vala's lines, in particular, seemed spot-on in humor and personality. Also, I liked the way it fit all of the main characters into the approximately current day Stargate setting of 2008, meaning Mitchell is leading SG-1, Carter is back from Atlantis but not yet commanding the Hammond, O'Neill is in Washington.
The story captured my interest as effectively as a backup SG team secures an offworld gate. A group of Tokra steal the time-traveling jumper and go in search of Egeria in an attempt to renew their dwindling race. SG-1 must follow them to preserve the timeline. Without going into details, this book is packed with side adventures and plotlines that converge expertly without ever getting so complex you need to keep charts.
I don't have a lot to say about this one because it speaks for itself. Aside from the handful of typos these always have, I don't have any complaints. The authors expanded on the canon in a few places, but I think it was done well. The only possible exception is that the alternate characters seem a lot more capable than they were in the episode Moebius, but this is explained by the intervening time and difficulties they've faced in Ancient Egypt.
Recommendation:
This is a really strong offering in the Stargate Novel world. It's as good as well done episode, better than many. If you're going through all the books, get ready to enjoy this one. If you're looking for somewhere to start or for a one-off, there probably isn't any better place to start.
This is one of my top three Stargate novels, easily.
Spoilers:
While the plotline about whether Teal'c's symbiote was really Egieria could be said to be predictable, I found it delightfully suspenseful and engrossing. Baal's sunspot device was a bit convenient (and if this was an episode, too overpowered to find) but I can forgive that. It was necessary and kind of neat.
This story takes place in a time I feel Carter seems a little lost. After Atlantis, she's kind of over qualified for everything on Earth. I think this comes through well in this book, as Homeworld Command debates the future of the General Hammond ship's command. Sam asks Carter about her life; they talk about Sam and Jack's baby daughter; Carter says about O'Neill that, yes, she thinks he will wait for her. It's pretty unambiguous and a little sad, but of course Carter doesn't stay down for long. As this takes place in 2008, it makes me wonder what Carter is up to in 2013.
Overall:
7 out of 7 chevrons locked!
Characters:
7 out of 7 chevrons locked!
Meaningful, interesting plot:
6 out of 7 chevrons engaged
Shippyness:
About as much as I could hope for- without any actual interaction between Jack and Sam! Our Jack and Sam, that is. There is a lot of fondness there (though our Jack isn't in it much) but we've got alternate Jack and Sam, and they have been together in Ancient Egypt raising a family for a few years! Leaning toward shippy even without considering alternate Sam and Jack, this one made me pretty happy.
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